- Artificial Self

Catalog description

Scholars and corporations are increasingly concerned with (a) creating effective artificial intelligence; and (b) creating new opportunities for human consciousness/selfhood to exist within virtual/digital spaces. These joint efforts mean that our world now includes technologies that meaningfully blur the boundaries between self/not-self, and even between biological/artificial intelligences. What are the boundaries between human and machine; between sentience and oblivion; between body and avatar; between innovation and mimickry? In other words: Can machines think? This course focuses on understanding the stakes and consequences of the development of increasingly compelling AI, metaverses, avatars, and programs. To do this, we will understand major debates related to selfhood, consciousness, self-awareness, and sentience. We will work with these ideas using academic readings across the cognitive sciences, including from linguistics, computer science, and psychology. However, understanding the artificial self requires “primary source” research too; we will experience artificial “self”hoods via structured direct engagement with AI chatbots and virtual worlds. We will use the tools of the virtual world to telematically interact with distance scholars/activists in shared activities for understanding virtual selves. Finally, we will partner with the Cognitive Science Society’s “Can machines think?” contest to judge their international and multidisciplinary submissions of materials explaining major debates and issues related to artificial consciousness and selfhood.